Great artistic creativity on show in Clough'
Exciting programme of exhibitions
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Leisa Gray at the launch of her exhibition ‘Small Daily Rituals’ at the Thomas MacDonagh Museum.Image 2 of 5
Suzannah O’Reilly is hosting a hotly anticipated Print Workshop on July 14.Image 3 of 5
Joanna Ryan-Purcell’s exhibition ‘Come Away, O Human Child’ runs from November 16 to January 3, 2027.Image 4 of 5
ABOVE: Edwina Knight’s inspiring exhibition ‘Aqua Essence’ runs from August 3-30.Image 5 of 5
Deirdre Gleeson’s exhibition celebrating Gaelic Christianity runs from October 19-November 15.Renowned local poet and patriot Thomas MacDonagh and his family were rooted in a culture of education, music, and deep artistic creativity, centred in Cloughjordan. Their home was known as a nurturing, high-spirited environment that fostered diverse talents, with a legacy that combined poetry, literature, drama, art and music.
The family home in Cloughjordan is now the Thomas MacDonagh Museum, which houses a permanent exhibition of the family's personal papers, photos, and items representing their life. It offers pre-booked group tours of the collections for schools and special interest groups and welcomes passing visitors.
CREATIVITY AND CULTURE
The creativity and culture of the MacDonagh family forms the inspiration for the programme of exhibitions, talks and workshops, taking place in the Thomas MacDonagh Museum from June to January. Admission is free, check the website for opening times.
For all the visual art Lovers out there, a strong thread running through the upcoming series of exhibitions at the museum is local artists using events, workshops and installations in imaginative ways to engage meaningfully with their audiences and communicate their practices in immersive and interactive ways.
Tipperary-based textile artist and maker Leisa Gray presents her community-focused, prints, collage and embroidery exhibition titled ‘Small Daily Rituals’ created for the Bealtaine Festival celebrating arts and older age (currently underway and running until June 30).
Suzannah O’Reilly returns to facilitate a practical Print Workshop on July 14. Suzannah is a practising artist, printmaker, fine art lecturer and curator for the past 25 years and is based in Limerick and Tipperary. Work produced will be exhibited in the museum (exhibition runs from July 6-30).
Tipperary artist Edwina Knight explains that her exhibition titled ‘Aqua Essence’ is “a series of oil paintings inspired by my daily lake swims, exploring light, movement, and the emotional connection between body and water.” This exhibition runs from August 3-30).
CULTURE NIGHT
The North Tipperary Artists Collective Group Exhibition which launches on Culture Night (September 18) as part of the Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School sees the NTAC members deeply engaging with the Hedge School themes of Memory and Legacy (Sept 18-Oct 18).
Artist Deirdre Gleeson shares her goal for her exhibition titled Guí - An Exploration of Irish Prayer, Sainthood & Gaelic Christianity’ is “to gather community together to celebrate creativity and the unique expressions of Christianity that have flourished on this island”. Exhibition runs from Oct 19-Nov 15).
Cloughjordan artist Joanna Ryan-Purcell reveals that for her exhibition titled ‘Come Away, O Human Child’ she has been immersed in WB Yeats’ poem, The Stolen Child - exploring this piece both academically and intuitively, trying to capture the ‘mysticism of the land’ that drew Yeats so deeply into the fairy lore of Sligo (exhibition runs from Nov 16-Jan 1, 2027.
The events of the Museum Creativity and Culture Programme 2026 are partly funded by Tipperary County Council through the Arts Act Grant.